Low-loss transmitter module

1. A transmitter module for a high-frequency stage of a wireless communication system having an input impedance Z i and an output impedance Z o , the system having a signal path embodied as transmission path with an input side and an output side, the signal path being disposed between a signal input and a signal output to be connected to an antenna, the transmitter module comprising:

a carrier substrate having a top surface, metallization planes, dielectric layers between said metallization planes, and through contacts connecting ones of said metallization planes;

a power amplifier being disposed on said top surface of said carrier substrate and in the signal path on the input side thereof, said power amplifier having an output impedance Z PA <Z i ;

a low-pass filter disposed in the signal path at the output side, said low-pass filter having an input impedance Z LPi and an output impedance Z LPo , said output impedance Z PA of said power amplifier being Z PA <Z LPi <Z o and said input impedance Z LPi of said low-pass filter being Z LPi <Z LPo ≦Z o ;

an impedance converter carrying out an impedance transformation from Z PA to Z LPi and being disposed in the signal path between said power amplifier and said low-pass filter; and

at least one of said impedance converter and said low-pass filter having passive components at least partially embodied as at least one of:

conductor track sections in at least one of said metallization planes; and

conductor track sections and layer regions of said dielectric layer disposed between said conductor track sections.

2. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , further comprising a component selected from at least one of a passive frequency switch and at least one antenna switch, said component being disposed in the signal path between said low-pass filter and the signal output.

3. The transmitter module according to claim 2 , wherein:

said component includes said antenna switch and said passive frequency switch; and

said antenna switch is connected between said low-pass filter and said passive frequency switch.

4. The transmitter module according to claim 2 , wherein:

said component includes said at least one antenna switch; and

said at least one antenna switch is one of a GaAs switch, a CMOS switch, and a PIN diode switch.

5. The transmitter module according to claim 2 , wherein:

said component includes said passive frequency switch; and

said passive frequency switch is one of a diplexer and a duplexer.

6. The transmitter module according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a second signal input;

at least one further signal path being embodied as a transmission path, the further signal path being connected with said second signal input; and

the further signal path having substantially the same components as the first signal path and being connected with the signal output through one of:

said antenna switch;

a further antenna switch;

said passive frequency switch; and

a further passive frequency switch.

7. The transmitter module according to claim 6 , wherein the first and the second transmission paths are associated with different frequency bands of different wireless communication systems.

8. The transmitter module according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first and second transmission paths are each associated with at least two different frequency bands of wireless communication systems.

9. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , further comprising an adaptation network connected in the signal path between the signal input and said power amplifier.

10. The transmitter module according to claim 9 , wherein said adaptation network is disposed in at least one of said metallization planes.

11. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , further comprising a coupler galvanically separated from the signal path in the module, at least part of said coupler monitoring transmission power in the signal path.

12. The transmitter module according to claim 11 , wherein:

said coupler has first and second coupling inductors;

a first of said coupling inductors is disposed in the signal path downstream of said power amplifier; and

said first and second coupling inductors:

are coupled through a transformer coupling; and are one of:

next to one another in the same one of said metallization planes; and

on top of one another in at least two adjacent ones of said metallization planes.

13. The transmitter module according to claim 12 , wherein said first coupling inductor is disposed in one of said low-pass filter and said impedance converter.

14. The transmitter module according to claim 11 , wherein said coupler has:

a first coupling line having a given length and being disposed in the signal path downstream of said power amplifier with respect to a direction from the input side to the output side;

a second coupling line having a length no greater than said given length;

said first and second coupling lines being coupled through a capacitive coupling; and

said first and second coupling lines being one of:

disposed next to one another in the same one of said metallization planes; and

disposed on top of one another in at least two adjacent ones of said metallization planes.

15. The transmitter module according to claim 14 , wherein said first coupling line is disposed in one of said low-pass filter and said impedance converter.

16. The transmitter module according to claim 15 , wherein said first coupling line is a λ/4 line.

17. The transmitter module according to claim 14 , wherein said first coupling line is a λ/4 line.

18. The transmitter module according to claim 11 , wherein said coupling is disposed one of upstream of and downstream from said low-pass filter.

19. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said impedance converter and said low-pass filter has at least one stage, said at least one stage being one of:

a power transformation;

a low pass filter member;

a line section and a capacitor connected in parallel thereto against ground; and

a combination of LC elements.

20. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , wherein said impedance converter carries out a 180-degree phase rotation of the signal at a given transmission frequency.

21. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , wherein said dielectric layers are of ceramic.

22. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , wherein said carrier substrate has a mixed composition of ceramic and laminate.

23. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said dielectric layers has a dielectric constant>12.

24. The transmitter module according to claim 21 , wherein at least one of said dielectric layers has a dielectric constant>12.

25. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one receiving path;

a front end partial module disposed in said at least one receiving path; and

said front end partial module is associated with said carrier substrate.

26. The transmitter module according to claim 25 , wherein:

said carrier substrate has a surface; and

said front end partial module is disposed on said surface of said carrier substrate.

27. The transmitter module according to claim 25 , wherein said front end partial module has at least one band-pass filter operating with acoustic waves.

28. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , wherein:

said metallization planes include at least one inside metallization plane; and

at least a portion of said passive components is embodied as one of:

conductor track sections in said at least one inside metallization plane; and

conductor track sections hidden on an inside of said carrier substrate and layer regions of said dielectric layer located therebetween.

29. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , wherein one of said passive components of said low-pass filter is an inductor or a capacitor.

30. The transmitter module according to claim 1 , wherein one of said passive components of said low-pass filter is a capacitor.

31. A transmitter module for a high-frequency stage of a wireless communication system having an input impedance Z i and an output impedance Z o , the system having a signal path embodied as transmission path with an input side and an output side, the signal path being disposed between a signal input and a signal output to be connected with an antenna, the transmitter module comprising:

a carrier substrate having a top surface, metallization planes, dielectric layers between said metallization planes, and through contacts connecting ones of said metallization planes;

a power amplifier:

being disposed on said top surface of said carrier substrate;

being disposed in the signal path on the input side; and

having an output impedance Z PA <Z i ;

a first impedance converter disposed in the signal path at the output side, said first impedance converter being embodied as a low-pass filter and having an input impedance Z FICi and an output impedance Z FICo , said output impedance Z PA of said power amplifier being Z PA <Z FICi <Z o and said input impedance Z FICi of said first impedance converter being Z FICi <Z FICo ≦Z o ;

a second impedance converter carrying out an impedance transformation from Z PA to Z FICi ; and

at least one of said two impedance converters having passive components at least partially embodied as structured conductor tracks in at least one of said metallization planes.

32. The transmitter module according to claim 31 , wherein a portion of said passive components is embodied by conductor areas or conductor track sections and layer regions of said dielectric layers located therebetween.

33. The transmitter module according to claim 31 , wherein a portion of said passive components is one of conductor areas and conductor track sections, whereby layer regions of said dielectric layers are disposed between said conductor areas or between said conductor track sections.

34. The transmitter module according to claim 31 , wherein said second impedance converter is disposed in the signal path between said power amplifier and said first impedance converter.